5/10: Pataki Not Seen As Presidential Candidate But Is One of NY’s Best Governors

Most registered voters in New York State do not want former Governor George Pataki to make a presidential bid in 2012. 71% have this opinion while 23% would like to see Pataki battle it out for the presidency. 6% are unsure.

Most Democratic voters — 80% — do not want Pataki to run. Even 60% of Republicans and nearly seven in ten non-enrolled voters — 69% — also believe a 2012 Pataki presidential run is not a good idea.

But, voters do bestow a distinct honor upon Pataki. He is viewed by 33% of the New York electorate as the governor who has been the best for the state in recent decades. Pataki narrowly edges out Mario Cuomo who received high praise from 31% of registered voters. Nelson Rockefeller comes in a distant third with 12%. Eliot Spitzer garners kudos from 9% of the electorate and beats out Hugh Carey’s 4% and David Paterson’s 3%. No one chose Malcolm Wilson. 8% of voters are unsure.

Partisan politics are alive and well on this question. Among Republicans, Pataki takes the top spot with 49%. Among Democrats, however, Cuomo is number one with 40%. Non-enrolled voters divide between Pataki and Cuomo who each receive 34%.